


Love like a Cold Wind

by ichikonohakko



Category: Saiunkoku Monogatari
Genre: F/M, the power couple of saiunkoku censorates falling in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-05-17 00:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5846842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ichikonohakko/pseuds/ichikonohakko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the way he looked at her, smirked at her, told her how much of a fool she was or how she always seem to stand on his way, Shuurei felt herself going red from the sheer intensity of Seiga’s actions. He never said the words and probably will never do, but they both could feel it in each and every spark that danced around them whenever they had an argument. </p>
<p>Riku Seiga is utterly in love with Kou Shuurei, although it was only clear to the both of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love like a Cold Wind

_I love you._

From the way he looked at her, smirked at her, told her how much of a fool she was or how she always seem to stand on his way, Shuurei felt herself going red from the sheer intensity of Seiga’s actions. He never said the words and probably will never do, but they both could feel it in each and every spark that danced around them whenever they had an argument. Riku Seiga is utterly in love with Kou Shuurei, although it was only clear to the both of them.

 

_I know you best._

It didn’t take many investigation to know that Emperor Shi Ryuuki is in love with Kou Shuurei. It was obvious to everyone who ever saw them together, whether in an official setting or private meetings in the garden. Seiga is the youngest inspector of Censorate to be appointed, he didn’t need to investigate how the Emperor bended so many rules (allowing women into politics and announcing monogamy are the most obvious examples) just to allow Kou Shuurei to be a little closer to him to know that he was so utterly in love with her.

But Seiga would chuckle at the gentleness, the obvious affection, and the tricks the Emperor employ just to get Shuurei to look his way. Seiga didn’t need all of that. The only thing Seiga did was watch and taunt and goad her into an official that befitted the Censorate. Love is a child’s play and god knows how women couldn’t be trusted. But Kou Shuurei was no ordinary woman. What she needed weren’t gentleness, affection, and tricks. What she needed was something else entirely.

 

_I know how much you think of me._

Seiga wasn’t even investigating, he simply walked along the rundown Kou manor to hear a familiar voice scream out his name. “THAT BASTARD SEIGA!” And he burst into a quiet chuckle. Obviously Kou Shuurei thinks of him more than she thinks of other men outside of her family. He brought out the best out of her and they both know it.

With him, Shuurei isn’t just an official with naïve dreams and ideals that are too high to reach for her at the moment. With him, Shuurei is a woman who is doing her best to shed off all the things that could destroy her in the central court. Since Shin Suou left the Censorate, General Director Ki couldn’t seem more obvious that he was planning to make both Seiga and Shuurei to be the best inspector—or even the next General Director. Seiga wasn’t complaining.

 

_Catch up to me._

It only seemed fitting that the Director General gave him and Shuurei a mission to be an undercover inspectors together. After all, the two of them are the rising stars of Censorate, both named the Official Hunters for their just prosecutions of all corrupt officials in the central court.

Seiga had been given the name Official Killer long before Shuurei entered the Censorate, and he was formidable on his own. But the two of them were a horror force in tandem. Corrupt officials shudder to hear their names and Seiga loved every second of it. And Shuurei, although he never knew until what extent, seemed to like the fact that she was gaining a reputation of her own.

Their first undercover mission was to the Koku Province, high mountains filled with bandits that rivaled Sa Province’s own. And it was there that Seiga and Shuurei felt the sparks of thrill that never went on reports and stayed as a tale only the two of them can wove. But they never do.

Shuurei had caught up to him. They both are the Official Hunters now, guardian of justice and promising officials of the Censorate.

(And nobody ever noticed that she never wear those flower buds given to her by the Emperor anymore. Seiga thought that it was frivolous anyway. And after he commented about it, Shuurei made a point of always having that hairpin around whenever she had to work with Seiga.

So it didn’t belong to the Emperor anymore. It belonged to Seiga.)

 

_Don’t be stupid._

Two years have passed and both of them are no longer apprentice inspectors. They are a full-fledged inspectors, handling crime of bigger scale all around Saiunkoku and Shuurei never once speak out loud of how she wanted to be in the central court. Seiga was her assigned partner, something they both had fight tooth and nail about and yet General Director Ki never wanted to hear any excuses. From Sa Province to Ran Province, Seiga and Shuurei had been everything. Be it young stable boys tending to Sa clan’s horses, or a couple of newlyweds on a honeymoon to Ran Province’s capital Gyokuryuu.

General Director Ki said that he had high expectations of them, and both Seiga and Shuurei answered to those expectations.

One day after a long journey from Haku Province, Shuurei had a smile on her face as Li Kouyuu welcomed her back. Seiga snorted and rolled his eyes before leaving, but then Kou Shuurei caught up to him and asked him to wait for her so they could give their reports together.

“Wait for me, darling!”

Given they had been a newly-engaged couple in Haku Province earlier, but then she shouted here in Kiyou, in front of Li Kouyuu, and then she blushed red as she let go of Seiga’s hand. But Seiga took it back and dragged him with her. “Don’t be stupid, we’re back in Kiyou already. You don’t need to keep on pretending.” But he didn’t let her go.

And she didn’t try to pry herself away, either.

 

_Something to be desired._

Four years in and both Seiga and Shuurei were prominent officers in the Censorate. General Director had given them more difficult cases dealing with much powerful high-ranking noble officials. At times he commended Seiga’s ability to sacrifice people with no second thoughts at other times he commended Shuurei’s connections with people who would eventually help her.

By this point, other departments such as Civil Affairs and Finance had asked her to transfer into their department, to be the junior secretary of the next minister, but Shuurei bowed her head and say she was sorry.

It was Li Kouyuu, the one rumored to be the next minister of Civil Affairs, that had asked why.

Shuurei spared a glance to Seiga, who had been writing a report in one of their cases, and smiled. “There is something I desire here in the Censorate.”

Seiga smirked to himself.

 

_You are soft-hearted._

“I’m sorry.”

That had been the first word Shuurei had say after he entered the Censorate archives, tired from his journey from Ko Province. Seiga raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry that your former lover betrayed you and smeared your father’s name in court.”

Then he narrowed his eyes, snorted, and pat her in the head. “You finally managed to dig around about me. That’s great.” Shuurei was silent, but she was trembling underneath him. Seiga stopped and retracted his hand. “Oi—“

“I’m really sorry… about Former Official Riku…” Nobody had ever look so upset at his father’s dismissal. People were even glad. Seiga’s father was the best inspector directly below former General Director Ou Ki and people had feared him. When his former lover had besmirched his father’s name, Seiga was pretty sure that the central court had rejoiced at his father’s dismissal. But here Kou Shuurei was, years later, biting her lower lip because she was so upset at the dismissal.

Seiga pulled her into a hug, a quick and simple hug. “You’re too soft-hearted,” he jeered, but then he whispered as he left the room.

“But I don’t hate it.”

 

_I want you._

It was another year and the cherry blossoms are blooming in the dead of night. Seiga and Shuurei stared at each other before Shuurei nod at him. The girl was half-naked and Seiga rushed to her side and cover her before moving to arrest the minister of Arts. After everything had settled down, Shuurei collapsed in his arms, telling him how afraid she was to do this seduction mission.

Seiga carried her into an empty room and gave her clothes. Shuurei took it and began to change, Seiga turned his back.

“It was scary…” Shuurei said as she tied her hair up. “It was really scary…”

Seiga took her hand in his. “Don’t be such a wuss. Just do your job as an inspector, Shuurei.” But his hand is trembling. Jealousy, rage—jealousy? What?

“Seiga…?”

“Go home for today, I’ll submit the report for you.”

 

_I love you._

Seiga was going to turn 25 and Shuurei was definitely in the ripest marriageable age. Nowadays even Shuurei herself had to help his father sort out the marriage proposals that came for her. And Seiga offered to help.

They still bicker, of course, but working with each other for the last five years mellowed them out. At times, they even talk about personal problems. When they finished sorting through the marriage proposals, Seiga invited her to walk with him across her gardens.

They talked. About various things that concerned everything they wanted to talk about. And then they stopped under a fairly young cherry blossom tree that swayed along the wind.

Shuurei had a smile on her face, a small sad smile but a smile nonetheless. Seiga brought out a branch of orange blossoms and present it to her.

“Seiga…”

“Would you stay beside me, Shuurei?” She was the woman who stood by him without caring about his status. All that mattered to Shuurei was his abilities and she didn’t concern herself with the fact that he was the next head of Riku family. All Seiga wanted was to have this woman, who had stood by his side for the last five years, stand beside him for all eternity.

He would never say the word, and she probably she would never say it also. But they knew, they just _knew_.

Shuurei accepted the branch with a cocky smirk on her face. “I’ll take you on, Seiga.”

“Don’t be cocky towards your senior, Inspector Kou.”

 

_I want to be with you._

Riku Seiga was utterly and completely in love with Kou Shuurei. After all, he had faced the almighty Kou Clan to ask their first princess’ hand in marriage (even though Kou Shouka blessed him all the way, it didn’t mean it was the same for the entire Kou Clan, most particularly Kou Reishin) and he had convinced them that he _is_ the right man for Shuurei. Riku family was a family of famed officials and even though it was nothing compared to Kou Clan, Shuurei managed to smile her way through her family.

They never once say the words, though. A confession Seiga knew the Emperor had spoken to his wife time and time again. Even now as they lie together in dimmed lights of Riku family’s master bedroom, they never say it.

After all, Shuurei didn’t need that. What Shuurei needed is something else. A promise, an honest act. And Seiga was different than others who promised her with words.

He was now General Director Riku and Shuurei is on her way to be the next minister of finance. She was still under the strict training of Minister Ko Kijin. He never asked her to back down from the politics of Saiunkoku and she was grateful for that.

“Seiga,”

“Yes?”

She lay her head on top of his bare chest, a gesture she only does after six months of marriage, and Seiga’s hand went to caress her hair. “I want to be with you.” She said, voice firm and confident and then she dozed off to sleep.

It was how Riku Shuurei, wife of the Official Killer and General Director of Saiunkoku Censorate _and_ the next Minister of Finance in the imperial court, say the words ‘I love you’ and Riku Seiga felt like he was truly _truly_ blessed.

 

(And there was an unopened letter on his desk drawer, addressed to Riku Seiga from Shi Ryuuki. He knew that it was from a man and not from the Emperor. So he didn’t bother to open it. He didn’t need to be the greatest Inspector of Saiunkoku Censorate to know what it entails anyway.)

 


End file.
